The Oyre Effect: Part Two & a Half: Exchanges
by mandomemory
Summary: ARC lieutenant Ando and Mandalorian slicer Vhe'dn Oyre get used to the implications of a long-distance relationship in this short story. Takes place between Parts 2 & 3. inspired by Republic Commando Series
1. Chapter 1

Star Wars belongs to George Lucas. Characters belong to me. Do not use without permission.

**----------------------------**

**The Oyre Effect**

**Part Two & ****1/2****: Exchanges, a short**

**Character Bios****:**

**-Vhe'dn Oyre (FAY-dn oh-YAY-er)**

**Age: 18**

**Height: 5' 2"**

**Sex: Female**

**Homeworld: Corellia**

**Current Residence: Coruscant**

**Species: Zabrak/Kiffar/Human**

**Affiliations: The Mandalorians, The Republic Grand Army**

**-A-14, Ando (AN-doh)**

**Age: 12 years (physically 24)**

**Height: 6'**

**Sex: Male**

**Homeworld: Kamino**

**Species: Human Clone**

**Affiliations: The Republic Grand Army, The Mandalorians**

**Rank: Advanced Recon Commando Lieutenant**

**Status: Deployed**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_Events take place one month after Solidity..._

**Chapter One**

Being an ARC trooper could often be lonely work; sometimes Ando wondered if he had been born into the right position. Everyone always said that ARCs preferred to work alone; maybe that was true, but it didn't mean that they didn't enjoy company. Even when in a large group of troopers, Ando couldn't help but feel excluded; it was a general consensus that the ARCs were a little eccentric; gruff, stubborn, unpredictable... that apparently meant unsociable, too.

Regardless, Ando was currently very literally alone on deployment. It didn't necessarily bother him too much besides not being able to keep an eye on his brothers. Though he considered all the clones in the Republic Grand Army his brothers, Sevets and Damper were about the only troopers he could call such and really mean it. Everyone else kept him at arm's length, whether it be because he was a lieutenant, but usually because he was an ARC. Sev and Damper were really all he had, as troopers weren't necessarily allowed any material possessions; them, and...

_Vhe'dn._ He would still get breathy every time he thought of her, and that was about every minute he didn't spend making sure he was staying alive. Vhe'dn was the only thing in the galaxy he could truly call his own. He didn't honestly need anything else. Ando couldn't understand how anyone_ could_ need more; greed was beyond him. The past month of being able to belong to her, and her to him, even when he didn't get to see her, had been probably the most enriching of his life yet. He couldn't understand how he had doubted his feelings for her for even a second on that balcony; he had been foolish, scared, doubting himself because of some fear that his genetics didn't allow him such strong emotions. He scoffed at that now; he knew he loved her. He missed her. He'd already grown so much since her.

A few hours and he'd be able to contact her; he always looked forward to that now.

**********

_Class._ Sometimes Vhe'dn didn't understand why she went to class. Sure, she wasn't paying for it; it wasn't for the degree, which she wasn't getting because _technically_ she wasn't even suppose to be attending. She wasn't on the roster.

But she attended anyways. It kept her busy, it kept her sharp. Today was a trade off; the content was inconceivably boring and hideously difficult, but the company most certainly was _not_. Vhe'dn attempted futility to stifle her laughter, her friend Nyoni rocking next to her, attempting to hide her hysterics; Vhe'dn was thankful they were in the back row.

"_I can't believe you would say that!_" Nyoni whispered, tears lining her eyes in her laughter.

"_He didn't either!"_ Vhe'dn whispered back. _"That was the whole issue! He thought I was kidding."_

Nyoni slapped a hand over her own mouth in an effort to stop laughing.

The instructor cleared her throat.

Vhe'dn's turned her head around to stare down the rows at her; they didn't look happy.

"The answer?" they asked threateningly.

Vhe'dn shifted around in her seat. Nyoni stared at her with wide _oh no_ eyes.

Vhe'dn was unmoved. "Fourteen."

These teachers never knew who they were dealing with.

Vhe'dn could sense both Nyoni's and the instructor's surprise.

"What?"

"It's fourteen," Vhe'dn repeated. "You solve for a and then substitute all the multiples in for w, then differentiate, you get a repetitive answer and plug it back in to the original problem; it's fourteen."

Vhe'dn saw Nyoni gaping at her in her peripheral vision. The instructor blinked, silent.

"Right?" Vhe'dn asked.

"Well, yes," they admitted. "I've... never heard it explained that way. Could I see your work?"

"I don't have any."

"You have to; I only just put the equation up."

"I did it in my head."

The instructor looked unconvinced, but she moved on with a scowl.

"Vhe'dn, you astound me," Nyoni whispered.

Vhe'dn huffed and leaned back in her seat.

"No one ever believes me," she grumbled.

Nyoni chuckled. "That's because you're unbelievable."

Vhe'dn smiled at her; Nyoni was a better friend than she deserved with all the secrets she kept from her. She was her _only_ friend on Coruscant; Vhe'dn preferred to stay disconnected from the people here, finding that she had enough responsibilities and beings to keep track of already.

Nyoni didn't ask many questions; that was probably one of the reasons why Vhe'dn liked her so much. Nyoni didn't know the nature of her background nor her close ties to the clone army. She knew Nyoni could tell there was something off about her. For whatever reasons, however, Nyoni never prodded; she just accepted.

After sitting restlessly through the rest of the class, Vhe'dn exited the university.

"Seriously," Nyoni grumbled commendingly, "you make me feel stupid."

"Don't be ridiculous," Vhe'dn said. "There's lots of stuff I'm bad at. I can't bake, I have terrible control over my inhibitions, I'm a shoddy pilot, and I have the worst patience you could imagine."

Nyoni laughed. "Don't forget nosy and overbearing."

"Those are in no way _skills_," Vhe'dn hissed threateningly.

"Want to grab something to eat?" Nyoni asked her, laughing.

"Naw, I can't today," Vhe'dn said with a smile. "I've got to get home; I'm awaiting a call."

Nyoni just gave her a knowing, coy expression and stroked one of her brightly striped headtails.

"All right," Nyoni said. "Say hi to Ando for me."

For a moment, Vhe'dn felt like telling Nyoni who Ando was besides just her boyfriend on a faraway planet, but then the urge passed; Vhe'dn didn't quite know why she didn't share the fact that Ando was a clone soldier, other than it would lead to a long explanation of what _she_ was. Vhe'dn didn't think Nyoni would shun her if she knew she was a Mandalorian, but... she still didn't feel like advertising the fact just yet. Mandalorian in the seedier levels of Coruscant worked; Mandalorian in _upper_ Coruscant _didn't._

Vhe'dn waved goodbye and began the walk back to her new apartment; she'd found something much smaller now that she couldn't see leaving the planet anytime soon. Keeping track of Ando was much easier from Coruscant than anywhere else, so she would stay there. Her new apartment was purposefully very near the barracks Ando and his brothers would stay at while on leave.

Vhe'dn entered the apartment and threw her datapad down on the bed; at least, it_ looked_ like a harmless datapad. In truth, it was a mirror of her gauntlet's computer, sans most the input and output tools, that held every code and bit of information she needed to get just about anywhere or anything. She kicked her boots off and hauled a circuit board from the corner. She reached over and picked up her glasses; no ordinary glasses, glasses designed specifically to act as yet another mirror, and as eye protection from soldering. Vhe'dn slipped them on and a flurry of data scrolled in front of her eyes. She smiled.

"Tosh."

Her R3 unit whistled at her in response.

"You get it recalibrated while I was gone?" she asked, crouching by the circuit board; she unplugged a few things.

Tosh whistled a happy affirmative; the actual dialogue scrolled past her eyes on the lenses of her glasses.

"Hm..." she thought. "Okay, up the amperage next time."

The board hissed slightly as she began to melt connectors together with her pocket soldering iron. Tosh suddenly whistled excitedly. Vhe'dn pushed the board out of the way.

"Ando? Already?" she asked.

She crouched in front of Tosh, and then a little holo of Ando, fully suited in his armor projected out from him.

"Ando," Vhe'dn greeted him with a warm smile.

**********

"Cheers, Vhe," Ando responded, the smile on his face evident in his tone. He knew Vhe'dn would be able to tell, even with his helmet on.

"How are you?" she asked him earnestly.

"Just fine," Ando said, tapping the temple of his helmet; Vhe'dn was wearing her augmentation glasses again. She gave him a curious expression, then seemed to realize she was wearing them and took them off.

"Much better," he assessed.

Vhe'dn, a small holo in his hand, smirked saucily at him; she'd recently gotten four small, circular tattoos on the cheek right under her left eye. "Come on, you know I think I look good in my tech."

He shrugged. "You look good all the time, dear," he teased her.

Vhe'dn snorted at him. "_Dear_." She pointed at him threateningly, two-fingered, making it purposefully apparent that the fingers were her robotic ones. "You don't want to be around me when I don't have access to it; you'd find I'd come very literally apart without it."

"I've been around you without tech; it was hell, remember?" he mumbled, alluding to the forest in which they had first met.

"Ha." A harsh, single syllable. She smiled. "Really, though; how are you? You any place where you can tell me where you are?"

Ando shook his head.

"Confidential, miss."

Vhe'dn _pfted_ at him.

"I'm doing all right," he finally answered. "Haven't seen Damper or Sevets in a couple weeks. I miss you."

Vhe'dn smiled gently at him, and it transformed her face from mischievous quick-wit to compassionate, worrisome lover; he didn't know which he missed more at this point.

"It won't always have to be like this," she said softly. "The war will end someday, and then we won't have to worry about any of this anymore. Until then, I enjoy our little conversations."

Vhe'dn was always so good at putting on a strong face for him. It kept him from crumbling. He knew she knew how he felt about not being there for her, as Vhe'dn tended to know things about him before even _he_ did. She never guilted him about his decision to stay in the army. She'd told him that was because, when he felt it was finally time to go, then he'd know it was _his_ decision, not her influence, and that then he'd have no regrets. Still, Ando knew she would have preferred sooner rather than later, and that... kept him up at night.

"So," Vhe'dn said, breaking his train of thought. "Time for getting to know each other better. Fun fact?"

Ando loved doing this.

"I'm not sure any are coming to me at the moment," he responded, hoping Vhe'dn would share one.

Vhe'dn thought. "Hm, well, this might be relatively important if you're ever trying to track me down; my given name is Ben Oyre; that's what you'll find on any official records."

Ando stared at her, then realized she couldn't see his eyes. "You're kidding."

"Nope," Vhe'dn affirmed. "I was born Ben Oyre, technically still am to this day. Dad wanted me to be Ben, but _Buir_ wanted Vhe'dn; she wanted it to be a nod to how I was the only thing that could keep Dad on the ground. _Vheh_, for ground, dirt; _Mando'a_ term of the day. Anyways, I was pretty much known as Ben up until _Buir_ died, then Dad started calling me Vhe'dn in her honor. I just kind of... picked it up after a while."

Ando shook his head disbelievingly.

"So you're telling me that your real name is _Ben_?"

"Yes."

"Don't you think that's kind of an important detail?" he asked her; he was a little shaken. He only had a few static things in his life, and didn't like the idea that the name he'd been so attached to for the past month was the wrong one. _Ben_. He tested the sound.

"Kind of," Vhe'dn disagreed. "I've been Vhe'dn for a long time now, mostly. It's not actually as important as it may sound."

To a man who technically had_ no_ name, it seemed quite the opposite.

"It's like having two nicknames," she explained, sensing his hesitation.

Ah. He could understand that. Something beeped at him in his helmet. He sighed.

"Intel's in," he said gently, slightly annoyed. "I've got to head out."

Vhe'dn nodded, but didn't let her eyes betray any of her worry or sadness to him. "_Be careful_."

"Always," he said, and cut the link.

Ando pushed the distraction she posed out of his mind, falling very easily back into military thinking. Mission; do mission, survive, return with assets. The basic outline for everything he did.

He pushed himself off the ground and began to move, reading the intel scrolling past his eyes in his helmet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As expected, Ando was met with more resistance from the townsfolk he was trying to _help_ than the Separatist forces; he really_ disliked_ neutral planets, but as he had a reputation for being generally affable for an ARC and something of a people person, he was often assigned such protectoral jobs. Sometimes he didn't understand why the army helped people who hardly wanted it, but there was no way to explain to anybody who mattered that clone lives were lost to help these ungrateful _di'kut'e_.

He'd already been bludgeoned by multiple household objects by startled mission objectives; that is, _people_, and had even had one or two blasters pulled on him. Thankfully, such encounters had only ended in nothing worse than maybe a few tears from the assailants. There was always one quintessential _di'kut_, however. Evac was never an easy thing to get unwilling people to agree to.

"Sir, it's a _fire_," Ando reasoned. "It's not a Separatist you can barter with, you're collateral _damage_. It's going to sweep through here and destroy everything."

The man crossed his arms over his chest, stubborn and unmoved. "The fires were started by _your_ war. Put them out; we are not abandoning our homes."

Ando scowled behind his helmet.

"Units are preoccupied elsewhere," Ando explained. "_We_ didn't start the fires, the Separatists did to flush us out. They don't care if you get caught in the crossfire. _This_ is Separatist _hospitality_."

The man was blocking the flow of people out the gates. Ando glanced over his shoulder. The people looked fearful, undecided, like they wanted to leave but didn't want to go against the righteous man.

"We don't have time to argue," Ando said. He bit back an angry quip. "My orders are to get you people to safety."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, _clone_, but you won't be able to follow those orders," the man sneered.

Everyone always assumed it was an insult:_ clone_. Ando was proud to have the surety his genome provided him; he also didn't understand why people insulted someone they thought was as thoughtless and dispassionate as a droid.

"Maybe you don't understand," the man dribbled on, "but _people_ have homes-"

Ando had a home. It wasn't as clear-cut as this man's, but he had one.

"and we will not just le-"

Ando didn't have time for this; his arm snapped out in front of him in a well-placed punch. The man's head snapped back and he stumbled out of the way, clutching his nose. He drew his hand away to look at the blood, startled. His face contorted into rage as his eyes began to water; he covered his nose with his sleeve.

"You broke my _nose!_"

Ando shrugged casually. "You broke my patience."

Ando stepped to the side to address the next woman; she stared at him, wide-eyed. He held his arm to the side in a _this way_ gesture.

"Ma'am," he urged.

She hurried past him, the group moving to follow; they all seemed eager to leave. When the relatively small group of people all made it out, Ando turned to address the man he had hit, sulking to the side.

"They may be able to stop the fires before they reach your homes," Ando said, "but staying here will make no difference. I understand loss, sir; I am not a _drone_."

The man, sleeve still pressed to his face, seemed to reevaluate him just slightly.

"No need to play hero; I'm sorry for hitting you."

Finally, the man nodded and joined the group. "You can throw quite a punch."

"I know," Ando said. He didn't tell him that he'd hardly put any force into it; it was all about angles.

Ando began to lead them away. A woman jogged up to him, seeming distressed.

"Sir!" she called, then seemed to hesitate. "Is 'sir' all right?"

Ando nodded. "Ando is fine."

The woman paused for a moment as if she hadn't expected him to have a name, and was suddenly touched by it.

"Ando," she said, softening. "Have you been to any other towns?"

"Two."

She nodded. "My... boyfriend lives near here," she explained. "I wanted to know if he was all right." She paused, as if gauging how much about relationships he could know. "You understand this?"

Ando felt a pang.

"I'm human, ma'am," he said, taking his helmet off to show her. "I have every emotional capacity you do."

The woman looked startled by the fact. Her eyes scanned his face; he noted the familiar pattern, the way they always followed his circular scars. Ando wondered when he'd ever stop being dumbfounded by how ignorant the people in the galaxy were about the war.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Ando thought it an odd response. He shook his head, waving the blunder off.

"I've visited Dachiro and Ichon," he said.

She looked relieved. "Thank you."

Ando slipped his helmet back on; he wasn't about to tell the woman that he did it because it was an objective, not because he had any great sympathy for the generally uncooperative people.

It was just over a standard hour of walking at a grueling pace to get them all to the rendezvous point, where they joined the growing group of potential refugees. Ando heard someone shriek; the woman from earlier went running, throwing herself into the arms of a blonde man; her boyfriend, Ando presumed. The embracing couple, while at the same time warming his heart, also made Ando feel a sharp stab in his chest; he thought to his romance with Vhe'dn, and how he desperately wished to maintain it. His life was very different from these people; he suddenly envied them the simplicity.

Try as he might, Ando found himself retreating into his guilt; it sprung up on him occasionally, a harsh little voice that berated him for choosing to be away from her. _It's not a choice_, he would tell himself, but he never truly believed it. He saw a lot of things about_ regular_ life when he spent so much time around civilians. Ando made no salary; he couldn't send money home, he couldn't buy Vhe'dn nice things just because he wanted to see her happy, and he didn't come home every evening after work, because his work never _ended_. And Vhe'dn never complained, not once; that almost hurt the worst, that she felt she had to protect him from her disappointment. Nothing she did ever hinted that she felt that way, but... how couldn't she? Deep down?

Ando could tell he was getting worked up. He crushed the pain into a little ball in his stomach, bottling it there. He knew it would fester and come back later, but he didn't have time for it now. Sometimes he would confess to Sevets his guilt when it threatened to consume him. Sevets would always listen, face devoid of any judgment or emotion until Ando was finished, then would just calmly give him some little piece of insight or wisdom; for how immovable and callous the man portrayed himself to be, Sevets could always startle him with his perceptiveness. He always knew exactly how to put his mind at ease; he'd also fully accepted Ando's choice to stay connected to Vhe'dn. In fact, Ando was pretty sure he could even call them grudging friends at this point.

Ando paced over to Nach; the sergeant had accompanied him to several missions already since Serce.

"Report?" he asked on a private line.

"The fires already wiped out Dachiro and Lennón, sir," Nach replied quietly, grimly, "and it'll take Ichon within the next twenty minutes. These people are as good as homeless."

Ando bowed his head slightly.

"I won't let them put us in charge of any refugee camp this time," Ando said simply. It was a callous comment, but things like this happened in war all the time on the rim; eventually, one became numb to the sympathy when they had a dozen other worries on their mind.

Nach nodded; the trooper was an 'orders' sort of man; he followed them to a t with a no nonsense attitude. He was insanely patient; Ando had never seen him even slightly angered, as if he had an immovable grip over his emotions. Ando wondered if he just hid them, or if it was truly so easy as it seemed for him.

Ando decided to comm Vhe'dn; on most missions, he usually either didn't have the time or the security to comm her, so on deployments where he _could_, he tended to do so a lot.

He paced away for some privacy; he didn't necessarily think his relationship with Vhe'dn a secret, but given the general lack of freedom troopers had already, he tended to not share it with anyone more than he had to, that being his brothers, General Aa, and Anon; he suspected Nach knew, also. It didn't take very long for Vhe'dn to answer, and soon he held a little holo of her in his hand; her face was smudged with some sort of dark fluid. She'd been working, apparently.

"Vhe'dn," he said. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Vhe'dn wrinkled her nose at him.

"Ando, I_ live_ for your disruptions."

He smiled, and this time she could see it; his foot sat poised on his helmet on the ground.

Vhe'dn peered curiously at him. "You look troubled."

Ando sighed.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"That's quite a shadow you've got going on," Vhe'dn said instead, scrubbing her cheeks in indication; it was her way of giving him the choice to divulge or not.

Ando brought a gloved hand up to smooth the stubble on his chin and cheeks.

"I..." He sighed, starting over. "Do you ever wish I would leave the army?"

He bit his tongue, suddenly regretting asking; he hadn't thought before he spoke.

Vhe'dn blinked, looking a bit surprised.

"Well... yes," she answered, "but that's just natural. It doesn't mean I don't support your decision to stay."

"But you do want me out."

"Ando, what are you getting at? Do you want to leave?"

"Yes._ No_," Ando corrected himself. He growled in frustration. "I mean, that's not what I meant."

"What, then?" Vhe'dn asked, eyebrows knitting just slightly.

"I can't-" He stopped himself.

_"Ando_."

"I can't - _buy things_," he burst.

"Buy things," Vhe'dn deadpanned.

"Yes."

"Are you always this eloquent?"

"I can't buy _you_ things; nice things." He felt like a fool; he hated it when he was so awkward.

Vhe'dn tilted her head to the side slightly, looking at him with suddenly empathetic eyes.

"Ando..." she said, tone soft and soothing, "I don't need you to buy me nice things."

Unexpectedly, he felt his anger spark. "Don't talk like that."

"Like what?"

"Like I'm a child you're trying to explain something to."

"I'm sorry," Vhe'dn sighed. She tried again. "Ando, I knew when I got into this relationship that you couldn't do those sort of things. I'm not with you for the materials you can supply me with."

"Vhe'dn, don't act like that; everyone wants things."

Vhe'dn looked suddenly annoyed.

"Do _you_ want things?"

Ando was silent.

"Well?"

"...no."

"Then why should I?" Vhe'dn scoffed. "Seriously, Ando, don't get me angry over this."

"_Vhe'dn_," Ando pleaded, flailing in the dark. "I'm suppose to... be there for you. I'm suppose to be able to get you things, and be the one to support _you_."

Vhe'dn scowled, darkening.

"I'm a big girl, Ando," she said icily. "Believe it or not, I can support my own _shebs_."

"Vhe'dn-"

"No," she said angrily. "Hell, Ando, if I really needed the creds, I could rip someone's _bank account_; they'd never be able to track me. I have plenty of work, you don't need to worry about me being able to make my way in the galaxy. I can take care of myself."

He felt the last statement like a stab.

"Vhe-"

"I've got to meet Nyoni," she interrupted him in a huff. She cut the link.

Ando felt a wave of panic roll over him as he stared down at where her holo had been seconds ago; she'd never cut out on him before. He was almost overcome by the urge to pitch the device as far as he could in his stupidity. Instead, he quickly snatched his helmet from the ground and slid it over his head, afraid someone would be able to see the distress on his face. He begged Vhe'dn's reaction to be accredited to her powerful convictions, and that he hadn't just made a major gaffe.

He paced off, hardly noticing the things going on around him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Vhe'dn knew she would feel guilty later for ending the call on Ando, but right now, she was just angry. Did he really think she was so shallow?

"Vhe'dn, you look_ angry_," Nyoni commented; she took a handkerchief from her pocket.

"I'm fine," Vhe'dn snapped.

"Mhm," Nyoni said disbelievingly, rolling her eyes. She stepped up to her and began to wipe her face. "You left your apartment with all this grime on your face for kicks?"

Vhe'dn batted her hand away, but Nyoni didn't relent. Vhe'dn sighed.

"I got in a fight."

"With Ando?"

"...yes."

Nyoni laughed.

"Don't make a big deal of a stupid fight. Couples fight," Nyoni explained with a smile.

Vhe'dn scoffed. "You know, I _have_ been in a relationship before."

"I know," Nyoni said. She pulled away to assess Vhe'dn's face, then nodded in approval and tucked her handkerchief away.

"Well... you could say our relationship was _built_ on fighting. I mean, we basically met in a fist fight," Vhe'dn tried to explain. "But this is different."

Nyoni gave her an odd look. "You'll have to tell me about that one."

"Later," Vhe'dn waved it away. "He's worried I can't support myself."

Nyoni gave her a warm, knowing smile.

"You're too proud, Vhe'dn," she told her gently. "It's sweet that he worries about you."

Vhe'dn just scowled. Nyoni looked her over as if assessing if her clothing was suitable.

"Come on," Nyoni said, coming to a decision, linking her arm through Vhe'dn's. "Let's go to a club."

Fifteen minutes later, they sat in a corner booth of the club, one where Vhe'dn could see the door; she had no threats here, but watching the door was a habit. She sipped on a fruity, virgin drink; Vhe'dn enjoyed the way the flashing lights of the club would reflect off the glass.

"So," Nyoni said, setting her own drink down and knitting her fingers under her chin. "Ando's worried he's not there for you enough."

"I _told_ him that was okay," Vhe'dn explained; she could see a pair of male Twi'leks eying them.

"Do you mean it?"

"Mean what?" Vhe'dn snapped.

"That it's okay that he's away," Nyoni clarified.

"He's worried that he can't buy me things and that I'm disappointed in him because of it," Vhe'dn said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the booth, "like that's all I'm with him for."

"Well, why are you with him?"

"Because I love him!"

Nyoni raised a jeweled brow and sipped on her drink. "Then stop being such a twit; just _tell_ him that."

Vhe'dn's mouth opened a few centimeters; she wasn't used to anyone being so... blunt with her; only the other way around.

"Nyoni-"

"_Force_, Vhe," Nyoni interrupted her, "you're such a control freak; Ando probably realizes that and thinks he has to pick up the slack and be more like you. If you don't let him be the strong one every once in a while, he won't be able to justify himself. He only wants to be the best he can for you, and if he's worried he can't provide you with things, it doesn't mean he thinks _you_ can't; it just means that he wishes _he_ could. It's less about you and more about him, really."

Vhe'dn was silent, sipping on her drink. She knew all this already, she realized. She just had an issue applying it to herself.

Vhe'dn glanced at the Twi'leks again. They seemed to be getting ideas.

"Let's get out of here," Vhe'dn said, standing. She laid a few credit chips down on the table.

Nyoni turned to follow her eyes. She nodded. "Yeah."

They exited the club; it was dark by now as they made their way through the walks. This area could get rather seedy at night, so they kept up a quick pace; Vhe'dn felt her blaster bump up against her breast with every step, a security.

"Why is it so hard for me to accept advice?" Vhe'dn mused out loud.

"Because you've been independent for so long and you're usually the one giving it," Nyoni said simply. "Seriously, how old_ are_ you? How long have you been on your own?"

"I'm only two years younger than you, Ny," Vhe'dn said, "and I'm not _on my own_; I comm my grandfather all the time."

"And your dad?"

"Whenever I can reach him," Vhe'dn murmured.

Nyoni wrinkled her nose at her. "You act like you don't care that he's gone."

"I don't like you think I do."

"I think it bothers you more than you admit to yourself."

"Maybe," Vhe'dn said; she suddenly noticed they were alone, and it distracted her. "But I also enjoy the freedom it provides me. I can deal with the trade."

"Vhe, that's-" Nyoni started, then suddenly gasped and clutched Vhe'dn's sleeve. "_Oh no..."_

Vhe'dn stopped and looked down the dark walk to what Nyoni had spotted before her; being a Togruta, her sight was much more acute. A male Devaronian stood with a blaster trained on them. Adrenaline rushing through her system, Vhe'dn suddenly felt the weight of her blaster like a burn on her chest.

"Come with me," he husked.

Vhe'dn sucked in a breath, taking the whole situation in; the way he held the blaster slightly out, tilted on its side told her that he didn't know how to handle it, but his obvious drunkenness meant he was willing to use it. Nyoni had a grip on her left arm, which didn't impede her. Nyoni let out a quiet sob.

"Do we run?" Nyoni whispered, voice shaking.

"_Sh!"_ Vhe'dn snapped.

"_Now_," the man demanded.

Vhe'dn could tell he would spook if she pulled a blaster on him. She didn't have time to aim, so she just shoved her hand inside her vest, whipped her weapon around and squeezed the trigger, the solid metal round firing with a startling _bang_. Nyoni screamed.

The man's blaster flew from his grip, his hand shot straight through. He roared in the shock and pain, flailing his arm around. Vhe'dn didn't hesitate; she just reached out and snatched the spent casing as it fell to the ground, pocketing it in a swift motion and grabbing Nyoni's wrist. She ran, shoving the gun back in her vest. A few seconds passed, and Nyoni found her words.

"Vhe'dn, that was _amazing,"_ Nyoni breathed. "You shot his _hand."_

"I was aiming for his chest," Vhe'dn grumbled distractedly. She took a sharp corner in the direction of Nyoni's apartment, still pulling the shocked Togruta along.

"What kind of a blaster_ is_ that?" Nyoni babbled.

"Special," Vhe'dn quipped. "Shoots metal. Sh... you're just worked up."

Nyoni was crying softly as her adrenaline ebbed by the time they had reached her apartment.

Vhe'dn chuckled softly, placing her hand on Nyoni's cheek so she'd look at her, trying to calm her. "You've never had a blaster pulled on you, have you?"

"You act like this happens all the time to you!" Nyoni whispered.

"_All the time_ is relative," Vhe'dn said gently, following her inside.

Nyoni exhaled hard as she sat down on her couch, head in her hands. Vhe'dn brought her a glass of water. Nyoni took it, staring at her with suddenly sharp eyes.

"Vhe'dn, you just _shot_ a man, and you look just as calm as you always do," Nyoni stated, looking for an explanation.

Vhe'dn sighed, sitting down on a table. She shrugged.

"I had a rough childhood."

"That's a lie," Nyoni said.

"Well I didn't grow up on Coruscant, that's for sure," Vhe'dn conceded.

Nyoni stared at her for a few moments, then exhaled hard in frustration and leaned back into the couch, eyes sliding closed.

"You have so many secrets, Vhe," she murmured quietly.

"I really _was_ born on Corellia, though."

"Did you know that man?"

"No," Vhe'dn answered. "No, he was just looking for a good time."

"You're going to get in trouble."

"It's Coruscant," Vhe'dn disagreed, "the planet is huge and layered and he was drunk off his ass. It'll be a wonder if he'll even be able to identify what species we were to anyone."

Nyoni opened her eyes.

"I can't believe I'm asking this after what I saw you just do, but will you stay here tonight? I'm a little shaken," Nyoni asked.

Vhe'dn nodded. "Sure. I've got to... comm a few people."

Nyoni pointed to an adjacent room. "You can go in there for some privacy."

Vhe'dn first commed Tosh to let him know she wasn't coming home, then immediately commed Ando. Nyoni was wrong if she thought encounters like that didn't phase her; it affected Vhe'dn in a very different way, but affected her none the less. It took a few minutes for Ando to respond, but then, he was very far away. He scrubbed his face as if he'd just been sleeping.

"Still haven't shaved, I see," she said, looking at him fondly.

Ando looked blank-faced for a moment, then asked, "Do you want me to?"

"Not necessarily."

A slightly desperate, hurt look suddenly flashed across his eyes.

"Vhe-"

"Hold on," Vhe'dn interrupted him gently, putting a hand up. "I need to apologize for earlier; I overreacted."

The relief on Ando's face wasn't subtle in any way, which made her feel even guiltier.

"I'm sorry," she continued softly. "What I_ meant_ by how I was acting was that... I don't want you to feel inadequate just because you can't buy me things. It's not your fault you can't, and you have enough worries already." She laughed suddenly. "You're out saving the galaxy and I'm just working to supply myself with things I don't need; you're far more important at the moment."

Ando broke into a lopsided smile.

"I just wanted you to know that I don't need those sort of things," Vhe'dn continued. "I love you, and all I really want is for you to be happy and to take care of _yourself._ For now, _staying alive_ is how you can support me. I know someday, when this war is over, that you'll be able to take care of me how you want to, and we can work together then, but I don't want you to worry about that right now."

Ando breathed out a relieved sigh.

"I was really worried you were really angry at me," he admitted, scrubbing his hair, his voice husky.

Vhe'dn looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry I overreacted. I'm used to just taking care of everyone else."

Ando chuckled softly.

"Well, you need to get over that, because I like being the man sometimes."

Vhe'dn smiled; Ando seemed to be feeling better. She hesitated, then decided not to tell him about the encounter with the Devaronian. It would only anger and worry him, and however adorable that was, she didn't need him thinking she wasn't safe when he was in a _war zone._

"I make a better man than you, Ando," Vhe'dn teased him instead.

He laughed softly again, as if trying to remain quiet.

"Aw, don't say that!" Ando joked, pretending to clutch at his chest. "You know how sensitive I am."

"You say that as a joke, but you know you are," Vhe'dn said with a sly smile. "But that's why I like you."

It was mushy, and she knew it; she didn't care. Ando needed more mush in his rigid life.

He visibly softened.

"I know you're strong enough to take care of yourself," he permitted gently.

Vhe'dn shook her head, prompting him to stop.

"I'm not," she admitted. "I'm good at acting like I am. Yes, I could go on surviving, but I couldn't _live_ without you, my family, your brothers; you guys are my purpose, my drive."

Ando nodded.

"So," Vhe'dn said. "You're not going to worry about whether I'm all right anymore, right? You just make sure you come home in one piece."

Ando nodded again.

"Vhe'dn, where is home?" he asked suddenly.

Vhe'dn paused, unsure of where the question came from.

"Anywhere you're comfortable, I suppose," Vhe'dn replied.

"Where's _your_ home?" he asked.

"Mandalore, I suppose."

Ando seemed to consider something, biting his lip, staring off to the side.

"I think home is anywhere I can be with you and my brothers," he murmured.

Vhe'dn smiled at him fondly. "That's what most people feel."

He seemed to like the prospect; Vhe'dn was amazed by how much self-discovery Ando went through everyday, as if he was trying to pack a childhood's worth of emotional development into a few short months of knowing her. It was endearing, but also left her yearning to hurt whoever it was that robbed him of the chance to do so earlier, as if he only now had the freedom to.

"I'm leaving in the morning," Ando said, breaking her train of thought. He seemed deflated. "I don't know when I'll be able to comm you next."

Vhe'dn smiled sadly. "Get some sleep; you look exhausted. I'll be around for whenever you can contact me."

Ando nodded.

"I love you," he said softly.

Vhe'dn felt her chest ache. "I love you, too, _cyar'ika_."


	4. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Ando knew the instant he arrived at his new deployment that he would love it.

Dressed in smart, yet nondescript street clothing that he wished he could keep, he found blending into the throngs of people in the streets to be nearly effortless, despite his nervous air. Everyone seemed to ignore him, as they had their own busy agendas, bustling about to different kiosks with apparent goals in mind. Ando found the menagerie of different items and species fascinating, and wondered why these people seemed to take all the things to see for granted, no matter how readily they always had them.

Ando thoroughly enjoyed undercover intel jobs, especially the kind that gave him so much free, observant time. The danger and objective was always in the back of his mind, but he was_ good_ at this sort of thing. While at the same time completely terrified by the prospect of having to interact with civilians, it was also thrilling, and came easy to him.

Ando passed an open storefront that appeared to be selling trinkets and adornments. He found himself slowing to a halt in front of it, something working through his mind. He paced over and looked at the pieces.

A shopkeeper was on him in a second.

_"Looking for anything specific?"_ the being asked in Huttese.

Ando shook his head; he had no idea what he was looking for, but his fingers lingered over the necklaces.

_"Buying for a special someone?"_ the being continued.

A small smile formed over Ando's face as he stared at the items.

"_Yes_," he answered in the being's language. He pointed at a necklace made of small, square beads, some of them shades of brown and the rest metallic; he couldn't see Vhe'dn wearing anything too extravagant, and the necklace seemed to be simple enough to be discreetly pretty. _"That one."_

The shopkeeper scooped it up and began to wrap it in brown flimsi; Ando handed the being a few credit chips; they were mission credits, but his goal was to blend in, right? He figured buying gifts for a girlfriend was pretty natural.

He paced away from the shop, pocketing the necklace. He understood completely that Vhe'dn didn't expect him to be able to get her such things, but... for his own sake, he enjoyed being able to do it.

He disappeared into the crowds, content.

_fin._


End file.
